While most quarterback-needy teams often struggle for years to land a quality signal caller, the Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3) found two in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields during the offseason.
However, both players will be free agents in March 2025, both will be looking for multiyear deals, and it is unlikely that Pittsburgh will pay both to stay.
Fields makes more sense as a medium- or long-term investment due to his age, 25, than does Wilson. But head coach Mike Tomlin benched a healthy Fields after a 4-2 start in favor of Wilson, who has kept the job ever since and is 4-1 as the starter. He turns 36 years old next week.
The Steelers' plans under center for 2025 and beyond remain unclear as the team continues its push for the AFC North crown, a division it currently leads by one game despite a loss to the Cleveland Browns on "Thursday Night Football." However, given Pittsburgh's clear preference for Wilson over Fields as well as Wilson's age, free agency or the draft remain viable options for the Steelers to replace both quarterbacks come next year.
A prominent name joined the ranks of the unemployed on Friday, Nov. 22, when the New York Giants cut Daniel Jones less than two years after inking him to a $160 million contract extension. Jones earned $36 million in cash from the Giants this year alone, according to Spotrac, and was guaranteed $81 million at the signing of his deal in March 2023.
New York is on the hook for all of that $81 million, just as the Denver Broncos are on the hook for the nearly all of the $39 million Wilson is owed in 2024. The Steelers signed Wilson to a $1.2 million league minimum deal, leaving $37.8 million for Denver to cover.
Pittsburgh could seek similar value for Jones as a bridge to a first-round draft pick at quarterback in 2025, though that pick likely won't come until the mid-20s or later based on the team's current playoff trajectory.
Still, Spotrac projects Wilson's market value at nearly $41 million annually over a new two-year deal ($81.4 million total), which is likely far more than Jones is going to be able to find on the open market after the Giants cut him mid-season following a 2023 campaign in which he missed 11 games due to an ACL tear.
Jones is currently 27 years old and led New York to a playoff win over the Minnesota Vikings following the 2022 season. He could provide an inexpensive bridge for the Steelers to a rookie QB -- either in 2026, or at some point during next year if Jones struggles -- while Pittsburgh can offer Jones the necessary platform to rebuild his value.
Bovada, an online sportsbook, posted odds for Jones' next landing spot on Friday. The Steelers came in at +800, rendering them the third-most likely destination for the former Giants QB.
Pittsburgh finished behind only the Vikings (+300) and the Carolina Panthers (+170), according to Bovada's odds as posted by the ML Football X account.
While the idea of Jones to the Steelers is far from a surefire home run, it is a more financially prudent path to a long-term solution than bringing back Wilson at $40 million annually to play for the team into his late 30s.
